This invention relates to games and, more particularly, to dart games.
Dart games are very popular in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. Conventional darts have a wooden body in which to grasp and throw the darts against a target mounted on a wall or door. Typically, darts have three to four feathers, such as bird feathers or feathers made of synthetic material, to enhance the flight, movement, accuracy and projectile path of the darts. The tips of the conventional darts typically have sharp pointed needles that stick into and partially penetrate the target. Conventional targets are circular and made of cork or wood with a bulls-eye and various concentric circles and radii which divide the target into pie-shaped triangular zones or wedges and circular segments and areas of various points (value). The participants in the dart game seek to attain the highest point values on the target with their darts.
Dart games are very popular in bars, taverns, pubs, and in homes, such as in dens, family rooms, recreational rooms, and in children's bedrooms, where the targets are usually hung on walls or the back of doors. The use of darts requires good eye and hand coordination. Unfortunately, many participants in dart games in bars, taverns, and pubs are drunk or not fully sober and lack good eye and hand coordination. Furthermore, newer participants to the game of darts and many children in the home are learning the skills of dart throwing. As a result, the sharp pointed needles of the darts often miss the target, and gouge furniture, puncture lightbulbs, penetrate lampshades, break glass-framed pictures, or stick and damage the wall, door and ceiling, leaving dart holes and pits. Furthermore, the use of sharp pointed darts by drunks and unskilled participants can be very dangerous to the safety of on-lookers, by-standers, observers, small children and others in the area because the sharp pointed darts can cut, lacerate and wound people, puncture eyeballs, etc.
Other safer forms of projectiles have been tried, such as suction cups and balls with Velcro-type fasteners, but there is usually no way to precisely pinpoint the landing striking) position of the projectiles. The very nature of most pin (needle) type dart games make them very dangerous for both adults and children.
Since throwing darts at a target is important for entertainment, recreation, and the development of eye and hand coordination, there is a need for an improved dart game that can accurately determine the position of darts on a target, as well as to provide darts which will not hurt people or damage the target or anything else the dart may strike.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved dart system which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems.